Coffee, Tea, & Hot Chocolate Hacks

Cozy pjs, a crackling fire, a good movie or a book, and a hot beverage...the makings of a perfect evening (or an entire wishful weekend!). But wait--before you put down the computer and start making a drink, check out some of my favorite hacks to change up your usual coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. There's something for just about everyone!

For my tea drinkers, you've got to try making your own sugar cubes! It is SO easy and makes a cute decoration for tea or as a gift. You can use any type of sugar you want, like raw and brown sugar. Next, choose your shapes. I used small silicone molds and small cookie cutters--for Christmas I've done trees, candy canes, snowflakes, and gingerbread men. Mix 1 part sugar with one fourth of water and press into molds. Let dry over night. Remove and serve (or store in air-tight container). BONUS HACKS: Add flavoring to these, like vanilla or peppermint. I've added food coloring too--lightest colors work the best.

A way to enhance any drink is to add a tasty candied rim. I've used finely crushed candy canes, colored sugar, and nonpareils (pictured above) to decorate. Simply pour your candy into a bowl or saucer or plate that is bigger than the rim of your mug or glass. Dip the rim into something to make the candy stick, like water, cream, icing (no judging!), chocolate, honey, etc. then dip the coated rim into the candy.

Marshmallows and hot cocoa are just meant to be together. But instead of the traditional ones, try Christmas Peeps (they have all sorts of shapes) or these Gingerbread ones (not Peeps). They really taste like gingerbread, fyi. Tons of whipped cream, optional.

Remember those cookie cutters I mentioned in the first hack? You can reuse them to make a decorative top on your cream. Simply place on top and add cocoa. If you want to do a lot of these quickly, I suggest tracing your design (mine's a candy cane) onto paper (I've even used a disposable drink cup lid) and cutting it out and then placing over the top. Dust your cocoa over it and your drink automatically looks fancy. Aaand because I cannot make any of that fancy latte art with frothed milk!

Speaking of the top of the drink, if you're a fan of whipped cream, I've got an easy recipe for caramel sea salt. You can use store bought or make your own, like I did. Just add a couple of drops of caramel flavoring, pinch of sea salt, your whipped cream, and mix together before adding a dollop onto your drink. Drizzle caramel sauce and extra sea salt if desired. I usually make enough for a few servings and keep in the fridge.

Sticking a candy cane in a drink is something we've all done, right? But let's make it extra festive this year and try a candy cane twist or spoon. I'm so glad I found these at Walmart (and Michaels) because I've tried to diy my own versions in the past, and let's just say it was a disaster. How cute are these? BONUS HACK: Dip these in chocolate! Add nonpareils! Ok, I just want another excuse to use the nonpareils. Btw I've used the spoon in my tea and loved it.

Here's the spoon and my peppermint mocha. I added crushed candy cane and chocolate sauce at the top because I could. I cannot cook or bake worth a dang flip, so this is how I contribute to the Christmas desserts.

Here's the peppermint twist in a peppermint white hot chocolate. Special thanks to my friends who volunteered to drink the "props" so they wouldn't go to waste.

Which hacks would you like to try?